Guiding Children with Special Needs - Term Paper Example

 Guiding Children With Special Needs Part I: Analysis of Three Disabilities Children with special needs require more and specialized attention than most other children. It is very important to pinpoint a disability early on so that it can be addressed as soon as possible. Unfortunately, for some cases, it is not always readily apparent that a child has a disability. Physical disabilities, such as malformed hands, can be easily observed, but cases such as hearing impairments, low vision and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are not as easily noticeable. Westwood (2007) noted that the students which require special educational needs are very diverse and to educate them is one of the challenges that face teachers. At the same time, it cannot be simply ignored and so teachers are now required knowledge about special education. This has changed the way education is done and special education teachers are now working hand-in-hand with regular class teachers to best meet the challenge. Hearing impairment is a very challenging disability. A child does not know for sure whether he or she can hear as well as the other child. Unfortunately, whether it is simply a temporary or a severe impairment, it can severely undermine a child’s ability to learn because “successful communication is at the heart of the educational process” (Mogford-Bevan & Sadler, 1993). Blind and low-vision children face a similar challenge. A child may not be able to learn as much as he or she could if he or she could not see the details of a lesson very well. Pérez-Pereira and Conti-Ramsden (1999) estimated that blindness is prevalent for about 1.1 in 1000 for people under 16 years of age in Spain, and their research showed a similar estimate for Great Britain, while it is 0.4 in 1000 in the USA. Unfortunately, “there has been a lack of rigour in the methodological approach to the study of children with disability, especially blind children” (Pérez-Pereira &and Conti-Ramsden, 1999). A similar problem is observed with ADHD students. The failure to learn is “not caused by a physical handicap” (Stevens, 1997), and most of the time, it is not so easily recognized and simply waved off as the child’s form of enjoyment when he goes around the room and pay little attention to anything else. Children cannot learn anything if they cannot understand enough because they cannot hear or see very well or if they cannot pay attention long enough to learn. As such, it is a challenge to work with children with special needs because it can be difficult to identify what motivates them (Klein, Cook, & Richardson-Gibbs, 2001). It is not surprising that teachers might misunderstand what really interests them. A child with visual impairment and a child with ADHD may not be interested in the same toys or activities that others participate in, the former because he cannot understand or see well enough, while the latter simply cannot cooperate. Knowing these differences is a very important factor in determining what works for each student. Klein et al. (2001) suggested conducting a high preference inventory, in which the information are collected through various sources, from caregiver interviews and direct observation so that a particular child’s interests can be noted. The center of any observation should be the child and how he or she reacts to stimuli in his or her surroundings. This will count as information that may be helpful in recognizing what will help improve the child’s focus and interest and improve his or her learning abilities. The role of teachers, parents and special education teachers become critical in the implementation as well because they are the ones who will guide the child’s hand to success. Part II: One Intervention Activity Grade Level: 3 Subject: Alvin S. Annual Goal: Alvin will be able to focus enough on the lessons to learn and cooperate with his classmates. Assessment: Alvin has the tendency to go in and out of the classroom and can be uncooperative when playing games with classmates. He also showed signs of having ADHD. Identify a replacement behavior: Attention focused on lessons discussed in front and cooperation with classmates. Include method of data collection: Alvin will be observed both at school and at home to see how he reacts to various stimuli, such as music, actions, activities, objects and persons. Include how often data will be collected: The special education teacher, parents and regular teachers will have to come together and discuss the data collected and create a method of application from the collected data. Objective: Alvin will be able to sit still and not go around during a lesson in the classroom. If Alvin will take notes, the goal would then be exceeded. Alvin will be able to focus on his lessons and learn, as well as work cooperatively with his classmates both during playtime and also when working on a project or performance that requires team effort. Materials Needed: Lego Puzzles Painting kit Activity description: Engage the child in team sports such as basketball and soccer which requires him to work with others. However, there is a need to ensure that the particular sport interests Alvin. For solo activities, help Alvin get into crafts, such as model-building projects like woodworking or building Lego models. Art is also a good way to help Alvin express himself in ways that he couldn’t through the usual academic means. Painting, dancing, theater and music might provide huge benefits, so long as it attracts Alvin. Vocabulary Words: Procedure: Introduction: Review the Art lessons will be introduced shortly after there is enough proof that shows Alvin has an interest in a particular art. Whether it is simply a fleeting interest or a passion can be easily concluded from the gathered data both in school and at home. If sports are not already part of the class, it should be introduced as soon as the rest of the class also show an interest in the particular sport that Alvin enjoys or seems to like. In this situation, the early childhood professional maintains his or her distance and acts first as an observer and will then recommend the action plan that best suits Alvin. Practice: The main guide in his crafts and arts development are the craft and art teachers. Sports can be handled by the Physical Education teacher. Puzzle-solving can be handled by parents at home. It is best to keep the puzzle-solving exercises at home so that Alvin does not see it as “homework.” If by any chance Alvin losts interest, it is best to go to the next choice. For example, if after some time playing basketball, Alvin seems to lose interest, there is a need to introduce of another type of team sports. Culminating activity: Stevens (1997) noted that children with learning disabilities (LD) and ADHD tend to be quite creative, so to show that Alvin completed or passed, he can be asked to build, design or paint (depending on his chosen medium) an object about his dreams for his future. Part III: Rationale, Purpose, and Projected Outcome of Activity The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a very important step in solving the problem facing a lot of children today. Each child is different and special in his or her own way and a generalized approach can often become a burden for the child, especially those with special needs. However, the task is not left only to just the teachers, parents or the special education specialists. These three parties must work together to make sure that the child gets the best possible solution for any challenges he or she may be facing. In the activity suggested, the special education teacher takes a more passive stance, because all he or she does is to evaluate what is best for the child. But this is no menial task, and in fact this is as critical as the role of the teachers and parents who face the child more often. If the special education teacher is not there to consolidate the data, the parents and teachers might not be able to make sense of them and such produce inappropriate activities. Although there seems to be too many activities at once, it should be understood that they are all aimed at maximizing the activities that interest Alvin, while those that seem to be inappropriate can then be minimized, and those that seem to offend him can be eliminated. Hopefully, the last one will not be necessary if there is enough reliable data gathered with the help of parents and teachers who observe the child. The purpose of the activity is to promote a more individual approach to education, not only to help special children, but also to introduce the more average children into a way of handling people who are different from them. In this case, it may not be very obvious how the other students can possibly gain from the activities. But if one is to look at it deeper, the children are introduced to various ways of learning: sports, arts, and crafts. The more varied the education system in its approach to teaching, the more helpful it is for the students. It has been mentioned earlier that each child is different and special. It should also be known that some share enough similarities to enjoy similar activities. As such, those who are interested in arts and crafts or even sports but do not show any outward or obvious interest in them early on can be introduced in such activities and they can find their own passion. The outcome of this activity should show just how much improvement is needed by the education system. It was only relatively recently that inclusion of children with special needs in the more mainstream schools became more common. Previously, they were set to study with other children with special needs. This does not help either parties because the children with special needs feel that they will forever be marginalized since that was how they grew up, and those who do not have such challenges feel react in various way when they encounter such people in everyday life, because they are not used to it, as shown in the article by Kathy Flores (2003). This way, the education system can help develop children grow into adults who find a place for themselves, instead of adults who are not sure whether they have fully developed their own potential until they one day come across something that they truly be passionate about. Unfortunately, for many people, that day never arrives and they live their life simply wondering. With the help of inclusion, this can change and improve society as a whole. . References Allen, K. E., Cowdery, G. E. (2009). The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early childhood Education. Sixth Edition. United States of America: Thompson Delmar Learning. Flores, K. (2000). Special Needs, “Mainstream” Classroom. Children’s Advocate. Retrieved from http://www.4children.org/issues/2003/january_february/special_needs_mainstream_classroom/ Klein, M. D., Cook, R. E., Richardson-Gibbs, A. M. (2001). Strategies for Including Children with Special Needs in Early Childhood Settings. NY: Delmar. Mogford-Bevan, K. & Sadler, J. (1993). Preface. In K. Mogford-Bevan & J. Sadler (Eds.), Child Language Disability Vol. III (pp. vii - viii). PA: Multilingual Matters Ltd. Pérez-Pereira, M. & Conti-Ramsden, G. (1999). Language Development and Social Interaction in Blind Children. Hove: Psychology Press Ltd. Stevens, S. H. (1997). Classroom Success for the LD and ADHD Child. NC: John F. Blair. Westwood, P. (2007). Commonsense Methods For Children With Special Education Needs. NY: Routledge. Read More